McNeese State Edges Lamar 64-63 in Thrilling Contest

McNeese State's Larry Johnson stole the show at the Montagne Center, scoring 22 points to lead his team to a hard-fought 64-63 win over Lamar. The outcome was far from certain, as Lamar's Rob Lee Jr. put on a show of his own, pouring in 25 points in a valiant effort to carry his team to victory. Despite being predicted to win by 5.7 points by CHD Scout, McNeese State found themselves in a dogfight, ultimately emerging with a narrow one-point margin.

The first half belonged to McNeese State, as they built a 31-23 lead behind Johnson's 12 points. However, Lamar refused to back down, with Lee Jr. scoring 15 of his 25 points in the second half to keep his team within striking distance. Braden East chipped in with 13 points and 13 rebounds for Lamar, but it wasn't enough to overcome the balanced attack of McNeese State. Jerrell Colbert added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the winners, while Garwey Dual contributed 7 points off the bench.

As the game unfolded, it became clear that this was going to be a battle for the ages. McNeese State's lead ballooned to as many as 8 points in the second half, but Lamar fought back to tie the game with just over a minute remaining. In the end, it was Johnson's clutch shooting that made the difference, as he scored 5 points in the final 2 minutes to seal the win for McNeese State.

CHD Scout's prediction of a McNeese State win by 5.7 points ultimately proved correct, although the actual margin was much narrower than expected. The win improves McNeese State's record to 18-4, while Lamar falls to 11-11. Despite the loss, Lamar can take heart from their performance, particularly from Lee Jr. and East, who showed that they can hang with one of the top teams in the country.

In terms of resume implications, this game will be classified as a Quadrant 2 loss for Lamar, while McNeese State will count it as a Quadrant 3 win. For McNeese State, the win helps to solidify their position as one of the top teams in the country, with a NET ranking of 55. Lamar, on the other hand, want to bounce back from this tough loss and improve their NET ranking of 210. As the season enters its final stretch, games like this matters in determining tournament chances, and McNeese State's narrow win will undoubtedly look good on their resume come selection time.